Issue 337 of Passenger Transport is published on May 16. Contents include: LEAD STORY Bus operators urged to get out and make deals A growing number of areas want bus franchising but ALBUM Conference is told opportunity still exists to shape policy in many parts of the country...
A growing number of areas want bus franchising but ALBUM Conference is told opportunity still exists to shape policy in many parts of the country This month saw the West Midlands become the latest region of England to commit to franchising and newly-elected ‘metro mayors’ express their support...
Britain’s small and medium-sized bus companies are adjusting to rapid changes, but ALBUM Conference speakers also identified opportunities. Robert Jack reports East Midlands mayor Claire Ward Within the ALBUM grouping of Britain’s remaining municipal and independent bus companies, there is understandable pride at their combined contribution to the...
Buses minister and ‘metro mayors’ are confirmed speakers Event takes place in Manchester on September 11 The programme for the UK Bus Summit, which will be held in Manchester on September 11, has been confirmed. Organised by Transport Times in partnership with Passenger Transport, the event will bring political...
Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority have approved plans to franchise the region’s bus network from 2027 Richard Parker visited Wolverhampton Bus Station following the decision By Andrew Garnett Bus services in the West Midlands will be brought back under public control for the first...
Thriving new community spaces have been created from the redundant former public transport estate, and more can follow Tilburg in the Netherlands was one of the country’s rail manufacturing centres Transport reconfigures the landscape time and again with each fresh wave of technological change. The coming of...
There’s no doubt that the convenience of Uber has eroded bus travel to some degree – but how should the sector respond to that? Uber has become the elephant in the room (Photo: Shutterstock) Last week, I eavesdropped on some bus industry bods lamenting declining patronage levels...
Welcome to The ALBUM Report 2025, a publication from Passenger Transport devoted to Britain’s independent and municipal bus companies. Returning for a ninth year, this year’s report also incorporates the Conference Workbook for the ALBUM Conference 2025, hosted by Nottingham City Transport on May 12-14. We hope you find it an interesting read and we...
As Britain’s small and medium-sized bus operators prepare to gather in Nottingham, David Astill warns against squeezing them out of the market Astill: ‘We’re talking about an existential threat’ Ahead of this month’s ALBUM Conference in Nottingham, ALBUM chair David Astill has warned that bus franchising poses “an existential threat” to small and...
Mobico Group’s woes continues after it reveals a loss of £793m, sale of American school bus business and the departure of CEO Ignacio Garat School bus business sold to Arriva parent I Squared Capital Mobico chief executive Ignacio Garat stepped down suddenly this week, marking the second senior departure in recent months. The...
Newcastle to Brighton link restores for service lost in 2008 The proposal would form part of Arriva’s Grand Central open access operation Arriva has submitted an open access application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for a new rail service stretching almost the entire length of England, running directly between Newcastle...
The value of good stakeholder relations can’t be underestimated. Who should do it, what should it involve and who does it well? Sometimes, the term ‘stakeholder’ gets used in a very depersonalised, almost token manner in business I do titter when I listen to business mumbo-jumbo – ‘drill down’, ‘helicopter vision’, ‘pain...
Local transport minister Stephen Lightwood will be among the speakers in Manchester With the UK bus industry entering a period of rapid evolution, Passenger Transport has partnered with Transport Times to launch the seventh UK Bus Summit. The event will take place on September 11, 2025, in Greater Manchester – the home of...
Funding has been allocated to 12 successful local authorities, with more than half going to West of England Combined Authority for 160 buses More than half of the money (£19.9m) has been allocated to West of England Combined Authority The government last week announced a £37.8m investment to underpin the purchase of new...
Open access rail services have demonstrated that they can grow the market for rail without requiring subsidy. What’s not to like? Lumo’s open access services begun in October 2021 It was less than a month ago that Rail Partners shut up shop, but I for one am already feeling their loss. The...
The establishment of Great British Railways provides a unique opportunity to reshape and, in certain areas, reset the rail industry We are at a pivotal moment for the UK rail industry. With the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) and the imminent renationalisation of passenger services, the sector has an opportunity to set...
Assessment presents a range of cost and benefit estimates for the planned ‘Bus Reform’ in Wales, which will see all local bus services re-regulated TrawsCymru services are already publicly controlled The cost of transitioning to bus franchising across Wales is estimated at over £300m in the Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Bus Services...
If you believe in buses don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk by taking yourself and others on one of many hidden gems out there East Yorkshire’s excellent Beachcomer ‘Use it or lose it’ is a famous but wise old cliché often used among folk to cajole them into supporting businesses...
Hamburg will host the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in June. We spoke to UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani, about the event and what visitors can look forward to UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani Mohamed, the UITP Summit is fast approaching, and Hamburg will be the first host city under the new annual...
Looking after the ‘stakeholders’